As a vehicle brake hydraulic pressure control apparatus which executes a pressure hold control to hold a braking force when a vehicle comes to a halt, a configuration is conventionally known in which a brake hydraulic pressure is reduced when a vehicle starts from rest after a pressure hold control has been executed (refer to JP-2007-331579-A).
In the conventional technique, when the vehicle is started from rest by canceling the pressure hold control, for example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the brake hydraulic pressure held may be reduced by a constant gradient GA. However, in this case, the higher the brake hydraulic pressure held during the pressure hold control becomes, the longer it takes to complete the reduction in brake hydraulic pressure, deteriorating the feeling at the cancellation of the pressure hold control (causing a sensation like dragging). Namely, the feeling at the cancellation of the pressure hold control varies depending on the magnitude of the brake hydraulic pressure held.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the brake hydraulic pressure held in the pressure hold control is high, the brake hydraulic pressure may be reduced by a gradient GB which is steeper than the normal gradient GA. However, in this case, as the brake hydraulic pressure held becomes higher, the gradient by which the brake hydraulic pressure is reduced to 0 becomes steeper, and therefore, the feeling at the cancellation of the pressure hold control is deteriorated (a sensation like sudden starting is generated as in the abrupt start of the vehicle). Namely, in this case, too, the feeling at the cancellation of the pressure hold control varies depending on the magnitude of the brake hydraulic pressure held.